Syracuse University football team's newest player is eager to make his mark on defensive line

Frank Ordoñez / The Post-StandardSyracuse University football defensive tackle Davon Walls, the newest member of the team, should see plenty of action in today's scrimmage.

Fort Drum, NY -- The Syracuse University football team will have several newcomers on display when it holds its first scrimmage with referees at 1:30 p.m. today here at Fort Drum. The newest of the new is defensive tackle Davon Walls, a junior-college transfer whose arrival was delayed by four days as he took a final test and then awaited the results.

“An explosive kid,” is how defensive line coach Tim Daoust describes Walls, a Brooklyn native. “He’s a little behind after missing all those days, but you can see the ability in there. We’re going to try to speed up his learning curve and get him going as fast as we can, because he is an explosive, strong kid.”

An explosive, strong, big kid. Perhaps too big right now, but Walls (6-foot-5) said he and strength coach Will Hicks have been working diligently on that.

“Me and Coach Hicks had to work really hard to get me in shape,” Walls said. “And up here at Fort Drum I’m trying to get in shape as much as I can. I’m down to 306 and when I first started I was 348, so I’m feeling great. To be honest with you I want to get back down to 280, 285. Coach Hicks said 290 would be ideal.”

It is hard to project where Walls will fit in this season, although he has been working in a four-player rotation at the position with starter Jay Bromley resting a sprained ankle.

“I bring energy, power, explosion . . . whatever they want me to bring I’ll bring,” Walls said. “They’re not asking for a lot. They’re really just asking for us to get that push . . . push it out to our defensive ends and whatever happens, happens.”

Today, Walls will get an opportunity to make something happen and perhaps earn a spot on the two-deep in the process.